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17 UNITED STATESv PATQIW.

cames; sra/inns, or MARLBOROUGH, "Massaonusnrrs, Assicnon To y HiMsnLF AND THOMAs' comix, or satin PLAGE.

iviACHiriE FOR s-PLrTTiNG AND sTRiieieiluc.` I r-:Ar'l-IER;

Specification forming part of LetterslPatent No. 4 1,583. dated February 9, 1864.

.To all whom, it may concern: j

Beit known that LGALnB S. SrEARNs, a resident ofMarlborough, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful or Improved Machine for Splitting and Stripping Leather, and Ido hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a rear elevation, of it. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the front grooved rollers. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the carryingdrum and its grasping mechanism. Fig. 6 is a representation of one of the cam-grooves for operating the movable jaw of the grasping mechanism. Fig. 7 is a circular section of such groove developed in or about in a straight line.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of the drum and its grasping mechanism, the spring-presser, and the splitting-knife; also, in the combination and arrangement of the drum and its grasping mechanism, the spring-presser, the knife, the auxiliary shear or knife, the two grooved rollers, and the series of strippingknives; also, in the arrangement of the stripping-knives with respect to the rollers.

In the drawings, A denotes the frame of the machine, within which there is placed and supported by metallic journals a carrying-drum, B, which is cylindrical, except in being recessed for reception of the movable jaw-bar a of the grasping mechanism, the fixed jaw of which is shown at b as composingpart of the recess of the drum. This movable jaw slides freely toward and away from the fixed jaw, and has one or more springs, c c, to force it away from the fixed jaw. Furthermore, each end of the movable jaw is not only held to the drum by means of ahoop, d,which goes around the drum, but is provided with a journal or st'ud,e, which, by means ofa spring, f, is pressed outward from the jaw-bar and into a camgroove, g, formed in the inner surface of the frame, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the cam of the groove being denoted at o in said figures.

A long knife, 0,'is arranged directly over th'e drum B, and is supported in and by the frame A, the said knife being provided with a spring-presser, D, which is arranged in'rear of it, and is to so operate as to closely press against the outer curved surface'of'the drum and in near proximity with the knife and the leather to be split.

In advance of the drum is a pair of rollers,

E F. Futhermore, there is arranged in the i space between the said rollers and the drum an auxiliary knife or guide-shear, G, the purpose of which is not only to separate the leather projecting from the drum from that part of the skin which may be held directly between the jaws of the grasping mechanism, but to direct the leather toward the bite ofthe rollers EF. Each of the said rollers E F has a series of grooves, h h, formed in it transversely, each groove going entirely around the roller and being of a width to receive and snpport,or to aid in receiving and supporting,one ofa series of vertical stripping-knives, H H, which project from and are fastened to a cross-bar, l, of the machine. Each of the knives extends into both of the rollers, and they mutually operate to give support to it, as well as to direct toward it the sheet of leather to be cut into strips by such knives. The two rollers are geared together by two gears, z' 7c, the upper of which engages with agear, Z, fixed on the shaft of the drum B.

[n operating the machine the said drum B is to be put in revolution in the direction denoted in Fig. 2 by the arrow m. Vhile the drum may be so revolving an attendant is to insert the edge of the skin or piece of leather to be split between the jaws of the grasping mechanism, the movablejaw of which, as the drum maycontinue to revolve, will be forced against the leather, so as to firmly clamp it to the fixed jaw and hold it while it may be drawn under the presser and against the splittingknife, as well as against the auxiliary knife. The drum, continuing to revolve, will draw the skin or piece of leather underneath the presser and against the cutting-edge of the splitting-knife, so as to cause the leather to be split or dressed to an even thickness. The leather, after having been so dressed or split, will be carried by the drum against the front edge orguiding part, n, ofthe auxiliary knife or guide-shear G, such part n being so curved as to direct the leather toward and into the bite of the two rollers E F, which, on `seizing it between them. will force it against the series of knives H H, so as to cause them to reduce it to strips suitable for welts or other purposes or articles. 'As the rear part of the piece of leather, or that held between the jaws of the drum, may be carried against the auxiliary knife it will cause the said knife to operate with the fixed jaw and shear or cut off such part ofthe leather from the rest of the piece, the said remainder being drawn away from the drum by the rollers E F. After the jaws of the drum may have passed beyond and below the said auxiliary knife the movable jaw will move away from the fixed `jaw, so as to allow the strip of leather which may be left between the jaws to fall from or be removed from between them preparatory to another piece of leather being inserted in the place of it.

I claimrespect to the rollers E F-viz., so as not only to extend between the rollers, but into grooves in eachin manner substantially as specified, whereby the knives, besides being -supported by the rollers,have their cutting-edges brought close up to the bite of the rollers.

GALEB S. STEARNS.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, J r. 

